Communication terminal equipment that are equipped with a plurality of communication services or communication functions are being increasingly provided in communication networks. Such equipment is known in the technical field as "multi media" communication terminal equipment or multi-service communication terminal equipment, such as, for example, computer-controlled terminal equipment that are connected to local networks. Such communication terminal equipment is realized, for example, by "work stations" that communicate with one another via local networks. The local networks are predominantly formed by known ring-shaped networks, bus networks and combinations of ring-shaped networks and bus networks. The "token passing" method in ring-shaped networks and the CSMA/CD (carrier sense multiple access with collision detection) method in bus-shaped networks are usually provided as access procedures to the transport function of the local networks. The signalling and transport functions for these access procedures, as well as, the physical properties of the access equipment are standardized for ring-shaped networks and bus networks in ANSI/IEEE standards 802.3 through 802.6.
In the implementation of known narrow-band and telephone communication functions (for example, telephoning, facsimile, video text and other 64 kbit/s services) in addition to the functions and services in the respective local network, the known signalling methods must be observed in "multi media" communication terminal equipment. Since signalling and transmission procedures in "multi media" communication terminal equipment are predominantly intended for services in local networks, additional signalling and communication functions must be realized for narrow band and telephone communication services. In particular, such realizations require a considerable additional program outlay in the equipment of the local networks.